A friend showed me around Troy, NY during a work trip to Albany. A very cool little city on the rise. She was excited to take me to this turkish place. I checked the online reviews and was a bit wary, but I'm glad I trusted the friend. Not only was the decor lovely and the staff VERY friendly (only suggestion: the lights are too bright for my New York City dining-eyes), but the food was outstanding. IMHO, it's hard to find a decent restaurant in this area (save the wine bar and bistro on Lark in Albany proper and Dinosaur BBQ in Troy)--this one is a keeper. We shared the lavash with a lovely yogurt sauce that I'm still trying to figure out in my mind, apricot nectar mixed with seltzer water, and I had an iskender kofte, which was delicious. The portions were so huge, I couldn't finish it. The lavash was like a huge puffy-fish when it came to the table, a real treat! My only regret: not getting some baklava to go! read more

My wife and I loved trying new foods and are absolutely hooked on Ali Baba in Troy. Even when we cant head over there to dine in, we'll order it from work and pick it up on the way home for dinner. Our favorites so far have been the chicken curry dinner, chicken and beef durums (like a gyro) and the chicken kebab. Oh, and the hot-out-of-the-oven lavash bread with the yogurt sauce is a must every time! LOVE Ali Baba! read more

I am definitely a fan of this place. Service was good, food was great and not terribly expensive. They have options for vegetarians as well as non vegetarian, both taste really good. i would defiantly suggest the curry chicken pizza. If you want something lighter the grilled chicken salad was good too, just be sure to squeeze the lemon juice on the salad. It really brings the flavors together nicely. I will definitely be going back soon. read more

My boyfriend and I are new to the area and relied on Yelp reviews for tonight's dinner plans. We are glad we did! If this place were closer to home I'd likely make it my dining room before long. I was nervous because the humble decor bordered on dirty, and the salt shaker crossed that line! However, the food prep area was open and clean with a casual family feel. When the food arrived much of our skepticism evaporated as we filled our bellies! Three cheers, two thumbs up and one very happy couple. read more

We stopped in for a quick bite. My vegetable Iskender was delicious. Can't wait to try the baklava we got to go!

Im from Albany, NY, which is about 5 minutes from Troy, and i have been going here for almost 7+ years now and alot has changed. When i first started going, the place was an excellent place to eat. The menu is full of a variety of dishes that cater to all your cravings and the prices are very reasonable for the portion size. Any dish you order comes with a complimentary lavash bread that they bake in their stone oven. This lavash bread is absolutely amazing and is an essential part of a lot of dishes they serve there. It comes with white yogurt that makes it even better. As far as their dishes go, everything is good. My favorites are the behti sharma, chicken or beef iskender, chicken or beef durham and chicken curry. Even after going there for 7 years, i still havent had everything on the menu, but from what i have heard, everything is good. For me its gotten to the point where i just want to order the same dishes because im addicted to them and resisting those dishes to order something i havent had before is really hard. Now for the "changes" that have been made over the last 2-3 years. The business has changed owners. The previous owners were Turkish and strictly served Halal meat and that's why it was a very popular location amongst middle easterners and south Asians. They were rated a top Mediterranean restaurant for multiple years (2004-2009). Ever since the new owners, who are also Turkish, took over, they have begun to cater less to middle easterners and South Asians and more to the general public looking to eat Mediterranean food and this direction i think has severely impacted their quality, quantity and service. Ill describe a couple of those below. -Make sure you ask whats Halal now if your looking for halal food. I have heard from friends that they no longer serve halal, but sometimes when you ask them, what they say contradicts what they said before and say they are halal. Their Turkish and certainly Muslims, i dont understand why there are playing this game with their devout customers, many of them whom they have lost because of this uncertainty. -The lavash bread appetizer is no longer considered "complimentary" if one of the dishes you order contains any kind of bread, which is absolutely pathetic. The lavish served bread back in 2007 used to be a nice large piece that was always free, no matter what you ordered. Now they only give you a medium size one and you have to pay extra for a large. Before, if you had a large group, they would give you two, not anymore. -Serving size has decreased, not much, but it has went down. There chicken durham contains less chicken, all they're dishes that had rice, now have less rice and even less vegetables. I dont understand the new owners, vegetables and rice are cheap, i don't get why they have decreased these portions so much. - Most of all, their service is absolutely awful now. Before it was a regular crew that worked at the restaurant and the main chef was the owner, a big guy, who was very nice and took his service and cooking seriously. Last time i went there, they didnt even come once to ask how our meal was or to ask if we wanted a drink refill. One of us had to get up and go over to ask for a refill. When our food came, the guy was rude and didnt even talk, just came over and set it at the end of table and left in such a hurry. -Overall food quality has decreased. Sometimes i feel like there meat just has no taste and their dishes are bland and missing the spices and ingredients that made this restaurant the best in the capital region. For someone whose been going there for years, i've really noticed the change, but the new customers flocking to this place love the food but have no idea how much better it used to be. NONE of this happened before 2010. Despite all the bad things ive said about this place, i still love their food and will continue to go there. Im just very disappointed by their new owners and the direction they're taking with this restaurant. The restaurant has failed to be rated a top Mediterranean restaurant in the Capital Region for the last two years and i think the new owners play a reason in that. Either way, i highly recommend it but suggest you take the above cons ive mentioned in hand, so your not upset if anything goes wrong. Most likely nothing will and you'll walk out with an amazing experience, especially from the bread. read more

Food is great but service can definitely improve. Also, adding a written description to the menu will be very helpful. The menu only has the name of the dishes and pictures but that doesn't help. read more

We had the small combination platter with 5 items (it was served with the hot from the oven puffy bread) and some meat dishes and some meat pide (the long pizza). Very authentic food! Good thing I don't live in Troy otherwise I would stop cooking at home, would want to go there for lunch/dinner every day :) Kind and friendly staff too. read more

I've never had Turkish food before, but I was very pleased when I stumbled onto this hidden gem in Troy, NY. I've only been once and know that I will be back to try other items. The menus contain pictures of the dishes with a name, but no real good descriptions of the ingredients or how the dishes are prepared. The server I had did his best to answer my questions, but I decided to throw caution to the wind and go safe with the lamb kabob. Boy was that a great meal!!! I also had the lentil soup to start. In addition to your meal, you get a large piece of a baked, puffed bread with a yogurt sauce for dipping. Unbelievably great flavors all around! I can't wait to go back and try something else from the menu. read more

I live a few blocks and I never seen this place but today I did and guys the beef Durams (I don't know if I'm spelling that right ) but the were awesome first time trying this king of food and I'm impressed also great service read more

We found this resturant while traveling through troy on vacation. The food was fresh and fantastic. The waitress was very friendly and guided us through the menu, all her recommendations were perfect. The decor is sparse but that is fine with us. I'll take delicious food over decor always. read more

The curry iskander was amaaaaaaazing! They also brought out a little something special for our (admittedly tired and whiny) 4 year old, so I thought that was really thoughtful :) read more

Yum. Best lentil soup I have ever had. Perfect lavash and yogurt sauce. Wonderful spreads and salads. Meat dishes were slightly bland, but everything else was incredibly well seasoned and delicious. read more

Absolutely delicious! The Iskender Kabob is my favorite and I order this all the time! Food is great whether you eat in or take it to go. Definitely a hidden gem in Troy! read more

Super yummy! I wasn't too impressed with the establishment when I walked in in the sense of cleanliness and presentation but the food made up for it! It's defiantly authentic Turkish and Greek quinine, very delicious! read more

One of our family faves - we always try to go here at least once each time we're in the region. The hand-baked lavash bread and yogurt sauce are reason alone to stop in. We usually have the appetizer with the chicken durum ( chicken, lettuce, onions, etc., rolled up in a lavash with the yogurt sauce). Reasonable prices. read more

I've been going to Ali baba since 2004 when I was in college. Every Friday after Prayer in the mosque we always went there for lunch. Best fresh cooked food around. I would recommend Chicken Curry for those inclined to spicy. I would recommend Chicken iskender for those who want curry but not spicy. Of course the lavash bread is unforgettable and could be enough as a meal. read more

Curry Iskender was really good. They brought out la ash bread and yogurt which the kids loved.

Awesome food. Doner kabob pizza is amazing (get a side of yogurt sauce to drizzle on it). Meat pide and Beyti sarma are my two favorites. Meat pide is more of a split appetizer, not really big enough to fill you up. read more

International ambiance, great service, authentic, well prepared and delicious food! I travel over twenty miles to get there, otherwise I'd be eating at this establishment much more frequently than time affords me. read more

My husband told me while we were having dinner here that he wanted to marry this place. I don't blame him. Ali Baba has great food and great service. You really get the feeling that the food is made with love and pride, which I really appreciate. I love the oven that they bake their lavash and pizza in. We ordered a small sampler of apps, which included lavash and yogurt on the side. Our appetizer plate included ajuka, humus, eggplant salad, grape leaves and celery root salad. My favorite was the ajuka, made with eggplant and hot pepper paste. My husband ordered the Adana kabob and I ordered a beef durum. The beef darum was an excellent sandwich, with plenty of beef and garlic sauce in the filling and wrapped in lavash bread. The Adana kabob was also nicely seasoned and juicy. We washed it down with cups of turkish tea, which was served in adorable tea glasses. Next time I'm getting the doner kabob pizza! read more

Grew up going to this restaurant and its been dependably great throughout the years. Great food, nice space, and good service. Great options for vegetarians, too. Would recommend for sure! read more

Great authentic middle eastern food. Came in and was skeptical but wow was it good. Has a good selection of food and has amazing flavor. It's not to pricy and it is fast. Definitely will recommend to anyone who appreciates good ethnic food. read more

They are consistently excellent. I have gotten take-out from there a bunch of times since I wrote my first review and it never disappoints.

Delicious helpings and immense portions. Particularly like the beyti sarma and mezze.

Great place for Troy. The food was consistantly good, service was friendly. This is also one of my trusty go-to places.

wow, just wonderful food. The lavish bread is to die for; huge portion and great yogurt dill sauce. I always get the Chicken Iskendar or Veal Guvec. Perfect comfort food. We go about once a month. read more

Amazing and unique (for upstate NY) bread. Very nice staff.

well, it's a restaurant that serves Turkish food basically. the Staff is not from Turkey, but they're doing a great job. better than many Turkish restaurants I've been too in US. I'd recommend it for any authentic food lovers. read more

This place just rules. The carrot salad and the ezme is amazing, but anything you get on a mixed plate is bound to be pretty excellent. Best Iskender I've had. The lavash and the yogurt sauce are a must. The restaurant is super authentic, totally unpretentious and 100% delicious. read more

We had their "Pizza" and some bread and hummus and OMG it was all amazing. The staff was very friendly and got to our order quickly even though they were busy inside. read more

Food is delicious, service is usually decent. Lavash bread is great, the wraps are good and the entrees are all really good. Not a huge fan of their pizzas, but they're not really a pizza joint, are they? Very casual atmosphere and the recent renovation really cleaned up the place. read more

The food was very good. I never had Turkish food before and it was a good experienced. The service was good and the place was kept clean.

good food, very like tasty. lavasah was good loving the white sauce with bread with more juice love the iskendery keboby shobby drop top hot box with my betyi sermas sauce with bread. also they have really good food as well. read more

The food is actually tasty. Complimentary lavish bread is good. So why I am giving only two stars? Because I am Turkish and I can confidently say that the food that they are serving here is far from authentic. But in the absence of any competition within 100 miles radius, this may be the place to go for Turkish food. If you are looking for an authentic Turkish restaurant, you should drive to Paterson, NJ instead. read more

First time with a dear friend who loves the place! I find I can also use the word 'love'. The flavors and freshness are extrordinary! The Lavash was wonderful with the yogurt/dill sauce. We also had the sampler plate - so many different flavors and testures - tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, garlic, onions, just the right spicy spices added to each. There was plenty to satisfy us two with some nice portions left to take home for a second round of taste sensations. The Lavash, of course, did not survive to become a take-home. We devoured it!. Top recommendations!! Can't wait to go back! read more

I'm not very well versed in Middle Eastern food but, This was among the best I've had. I will be going back!

WOW. Just WOW. We ordered a large lavash, hummus, yogurt dill dip, lamajun and curry chicken. Not only were the portions huge, so was the flavor. The lavash came out piping hot with sesame seeds right on top. Hummus and yogurt dip was to die for, the lamajun was out of this world and I have never had curry chicken with so much flavor. It came with rice, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and pickled cabbage. A major plus is that their baklava only uses pistachios (I'm allergic to walnuts). The staff are very nice and very willing to guide you. Will be back many, many times! read more

This is what middle eastern food should taste like. pita bread unbelievable and the yogurt sauce they give you is delicious. staff very nice as well. had the kafta kebab with rice, really good, rice was just plain but very fragrant flavor- chicken kabob plate was good too... read more

Crazy delicious. Not the cutest spot ever tho, so best for takeout. Menu is a bit confusing. Was supposed to get sauce with my meal but had to pay for it, Ohhhh well. read more